S 7157: Authorizes an additional $125 million for Phase 3 of the Rochester school facilities modernization program; extends phase 3 of the Rochester school facilities modernization program to 2033.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7157 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE April 3, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. COONEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Cities 2 AN ACT to amend chapter 416 of the laws of 2007, establishing the city of Rochester and the board of education of the city school district of the city of Rochester school facilities modernization program act, in relation to granting further authority to the RJSCB to modernize educational facilities in the city of Rochester The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Sections 4 and 5 of chapter 416 of the laws of 2007, estab- 2 lishing the city of Rochester and the board of education of the city 3 school district of the city of Rochester school facilities modernization 4 program act, as amended by chapter 614 of the laws of 2021, are amended 5 to read as follows: 6 § 4. Project authorization. No more than: (a) 13 projects, up to a 7 total cost of three hundred twenty-five million dollars in phase one, 8 and (b) 26 projects, up to a total cost of four hundred thirty-five 9 million dollars in phase two, and (c) 12 projects, up to a total cost of 10 [four hundred seventy-five million dollars] six hundred million dollars 11 in phase three shall be authorized and undertaken pursuant to this act, 12 unless otherwise authorized by law. 13 § 5. Comprehensive school facilities modernization plan. The super- 14 intendent shall submit to the RJSCB a comprehensive draft plan recom- 15 mending and outlining the projects for phase two and phase three it 16 proposes to be undertaken pursuant to this act. The RJSCB shall consider 17 the plan in developing a comprehensive school facilities modernization 18 plan recommending and outlining the projects it proposes to be poten- 19 tially undertaken pursuant to this act. Such plan shall include: (a) an 20 estimate of total costs to be financed, proposed financing plan, 21 proposed method of financing, terms and conditions of the financing, 22 estimated financing costs, and, if city general obligation bonds or EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10903-03-5 
 S. 7157 2 1 notes are not proposed as the method of financing, a comparison of 2 financing costs between such bonds or notes and the proposed method of 3 financing. Payment of debt service on bonds, notes or other obligations 4 issued to secure financing of not more than $325,000,000 in phase one, 5 $435,000,000 in phase two, and [$475,000,000] $600,000,000 in phase 6 three for projects undertaken pursuant to this act shall not be consid- 7 ered when determining the "city amount" required pursuant to subpara- 8 graph (ii) of paragraph a of subdivision 5-b of section 2576 of the 9 education law; provided, however, that this provision shall not other- 10 wise affect the determination of said "city amount" with respect to 11 funding unrelated to projects undertaken pursuant to this act. The plan 12 should also address what specific options would be used to ensure that 13 sufficient resources exist to cover the local share of any such project 14 cost on an annual basis; (b) information concerning the potential 15 persons to be involved in the financing and such person's role and 16 responsibilities; (c) estimates on the design, reconstruction and reha- 17 bilitation costs by project, any administrative costs for potential 18 projects, and an outline of the timeframe expected for completion of 19 each potential project; (d) a detailed description of the request for 20 proposals process and an outline of the criteria to be used for 21 selection of the program manager, the independent compliance officer and 22 all contractors; provided that the RJSCB may extend the contracts of the 23 providers of professional services for phase one or two upon the 24 adoption of findings that doing so would be in the public interest; the 25 contracts of the program manager and the independent compliance officer 26 for phase two will be rebid and the contracts of the program manager and 27 the independent compliance officer for phase three will be rebid, and 28 provided further that the program manager and the independent compliance 29 officer and any new or different providers of professional services 30 shall be engaged in compliance with the provisions of section eight of 31 this act; (e) any proposed amendments to the city school district's 32 five-year capital facilities plan submitted in accordance with subdivi- 33 sion 6 of section 3602 of the education law and the regulations of the 34 commissioner; and (f) a diversity plan to develop diversity goals, 35 including appropriate community input and public discussion, and develop 36 strategies that would create and coordinate any efforts to ensure a more 37 diverse workforce for the projects. The diversity plan should address 38 accountability for attainment of the diversity goals, what forms of 39 monitoring would be used, and how such information would be publicly 40 communicated. 41 Prior to the development of the comprehensive school facilities 42 modernization plan, the RJSCB and district shall hold as many public 43 hearings as may be necessary to ensure sufficient public input and allow 44 for significant public discussion on school building needs in such city, 45 with at least one hearing to be held in each neighborhood potentially 46 impacted by a proposed project. 47 All projects proposed in the comprehensive school facilities modern- 48 ization plan shall be included by the city school district as a special 49 section of the district's five-year capital facilities plan that is 50 required pursuant to subdivision 6 of section 3602 of the education law 51 and the regulations of the commissioner. 52 The RJSCB shall submit the components of such comprehensive plan 53 outlined in subdivision (a) of this section to the comptroller, along 54 with any other information requested by the comptroller, for [his or 55 her] such comptroller's review and approval. 
 S. 7157 3 1 § 2. Subdivision (c) of section 21 of chapter 416 of the laws of 2007, 2 establishing the city of Rochester and the board of education of the 3 city school district of the city of Rochester school facilities modern- 4 ization program act, as added by chapter 614 of the laws of 2021, is 5 amended to read as follows: 6 (c) On or before June 30, [2031] 2033, or upon completion of the 12 7 projects authorized in phase three pursuant to this act, whichever shall 8 first occur, the RJSCB shall issue a report to the city, the city school 9 district, the governor, the commissioner, the comptroller, the temporary 10 president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority lead- 11 er of the senate, the minority leader of the assembly, the state board 12 of regents, and the chairs and ranking minority members of the New York 13 state senate and assembly committees on education, the finance committee 14 of the New York state senate, and the ways and means committee of the 15 New York state assembly. Such report shall identify the fiscal and peda- 16 gogical results of the projects undertaken pursuant to this act, along 17 with recommendations for its continuance, amendments, or discontinuance. 18 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all 19 contracts entered into, renewed, modified or amended on or after such 20 effective date.